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Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner
4 reviews
willowd's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
(Note: I haven't read the first book!)
Is this book amazing? No. But was it fun? Certainly.
A bit heavy on the accents, so if that bothers you, skip it. I recommend listening over reading this story, due to the accent & grammar. If you're a non-native speaker, some of Delly's made up words might be more challenging. I found the dialogue very enjoyable to listen to. Oh also - the chapter titles are delightful.
I found the second half a bit drawn out - but I truly warmed up to the old lady and her mouse. The pacing of the second half could have been tweaked, or used another twist.
Now, somehow my book club thought this was marketed as sapphic (Idk where, because I didn't see anything like that? I dunno, I didn't look super hard!) and I want to be clear that it's not. The main character is clearly bi/pan. The main couple is two ladies, but there is sexual content that is not sapphic, and there is no wlw sexual content. However, the sexual encounters the MC has before are fairly glossed over, and honestly, as someone who doesn't love romance novels, was fine by me. I've read too many books with sudden love nonsense! With everything else going on, it sounded too exhausting for a romp.
I think this author has promise, especially in the realm of audiobook. Maybe even a play? I look forward to her next work, and hope that it gets marketed accurately!
Is this book amazing? No. But was it fun? Certainly.
A bit heavy on the accents, so if that bothers you, skip it. I recommend listening over reading this story, due to the accent & grammar. If you're a non-native speaker, some of Delly's made up words might be more challenging. I found the dialogue very enjoyable to listen to. Oh also - the chapter titles are delightful.
I found the second half a bit drawn out - but I truly warmed up to the old lady and her mouse. The pacing of the second half could have been tweaked, or used another twist.
Now, somehow my book club thought this was marketed as sapphic (Idk where, because I didn't see anything like that? I dunno, I didn't look super hard!) and I want to be clear that it's not. The main character is clearly bi/pan. The main couple is two ladies, but there is sexual content that is not sapphic, and there is no wlw sexual content. However, the sexual encounters the MC has before are fairly glossed over, and honestly, as someone who doesn't love romance novels, was fine by me. I've read too many books with sudden love nonsense! With everything else going on, it sounded too exhausting for a romp.
I think this author has promise, especially in the realm of audiobook. Maybe even a play? I look forward to her next work, and hope that it gets marketed accurately!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Animal death, Murder, and Drug use
Moderate: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual content
dealingwithdragons's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Bullying, and Classism
Minor: Infertility
eamily's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Toxic friendship, Blood, Classism, Death, Drug use, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Torture, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Vomit, Infidelity, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Cursing, and Forced institutionalization
wandering_not_lost's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
...eh. I wish I liked this book more, but though some pieces all were nice (good character voice, sweet romance, hard character learning to love, ensemble heist cast, casual necromancy, and a deep dedication to [if not a great description of] sense of place), in the end I just couldn't get past some of the choices the author made about the plot and plotting.
As others have said, this book has weird pacing and a strange bifurcation of the plot about 40% of the way through. The plot summary on the cover is basically just that first 40%, and after that things A) slow down considerably and B) start taking headscratching turns in the plot department.I never really understood the drug-making plotline...like...why would you think that that is the only way to find the person they're looking for? As opposed to, I don't know, following the runner kid or the attempted abductor back to the place where they SAID they knew the operation was based? Why this plan which basically set them up to be noticed/attacked/ripe for their "product" to be stolen? I mean, I'm not saying that Delly wouldn't come up with that plan (though see below, I have doubts), but why no one else said, "um...why not this less ethically fraught and simpler way instead?" is utterly beyond me. That just really broke my interest in the book. Additionally, not only did they follow what I thought was a boneheaded plan, but they apparently didn't think at all about what I thought were the obvious repercussions of that plan. They didn't think that just sending a sample, with no further information, wouldn't open them up to being attacked or pressured by the Companions? They didn't think that gaining attention in that way might lead to danger for themselves or the people they are supposedly trying to protect? Or that they'd be under surveillance at all? They didn't think that they'd obviously need a TEST SUBJECT FOR A DANGEROUS AND ADDICTIVE DRUG THAT THEY WERE MAKING, and that maybe that in itself was a deep, deep moral issue? Also, the use of Delly's mom as that test subject just really, really made me make horrified faces. So many horrified faces. I mean...ASIDE from the issues with drug addiction and Delly's feelings about it, it could have been dangerous, but hey, why worry about THAT?
Also, the romance? I just...it was there. It was nice to see a lesbian romance be the focus, but Winn's characterization was a bit too one-note and never progressed past "cheerful and nice". I never really GOTthe way she was suddenly ready to freaking propose after what...a few weeks? It didn't really click with me.
As others have said, this book has weird pacing and a strange bifurcation of the plot about 40% of the way through. The plot summary on the cover is basically just that first 40%, and after that things A) slow down considerably and B) start taking headscratching turns in the plot department.
Also, the romance? I just...it was there. It was nice to see a lesbian romance be the focus, but Winn's characterization was a bit too one-note and never progressed past "cheerful and nice". I never really GOT
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, and Animal death
Minor: Forced institutionalization
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